John melton black



(N Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 1. J. M. BLACK.

TICKET BELL PUNCH.l

No..374,288. Patented Deo. 6, 1887.

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(No Model.) 8 2 sheetssheet 2.

, J. M. BLACK.

, TIGKBT BELL PUNCH.

No. 374,288. F I @@nted Demf, 1887.

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vUNiTi-n "STATES PATENT OFFICE..

JOHN MELTON BLACK, OF LONDON, COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND.

TICKET BELL-PUNCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 374,288, dated December 6, 1887.

Application filed July 5, 1887. SerialNo. 243,435. (No model.) .Patented in England July 16, 1880. No. 9,5253; in France August G, 1886, No. 177,807; in Germany September 22, 1886, No. 89,844, and in Belgium March 5, 1887, No. 76,574.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, JoHN MELTON BLACK, a citizen of England, residing at lTabernacle Street, Finsbury, in the city of London,have invented new and useful Improvements in Ticket Bell-Punches, (for which I have obtained patents in Great Britain on the lth'day of July, 1886, No. 9,253; in France on the 6th day of August, 1886, No. 177,807; in Belgium on the th day of March, 1887, No. 76,574, and in Germany on the 22d day of September, 1886, No.

39,844,) of which'the following is a description.

This invention'is designed for effecting certain improvements in that description of ticket-punch (employed by conductors on public vehicles) for which patents were grantedin the United Statesof America on the 22d day of February, 1870,'r No. 100,036, and on the 31st day of January, 1871, No. 111,315.

The specifications of the above-named patents describe an arrangement of apparatus to be used by the conductors of tram-cars or other public vehicles for punching consecutively-numbered tickets, which as punched are delivered to passengers in exchange for their fares.

The objects for whichy these improvements are designed are, Iirst, to provide a meanswhich will enable lthe conductor to see and compare the number on the concealed dial of the instrument with the corresponding number on his Way-bill before the instrument is finally closed and handed to him; secondly, to provide a means in connection with the socalled bell-punch instrument,77 which will prevent any designed or accidental depression of the punch-lever after it has been delivered up by the conductor, which would count against the conductor when the instrument is not in his possession; and, thirdly, to so construct the combination-lock of the instrument and holdfast or catch that the means employed for opening the box will be known only to one duly-authorized person, and, further, that the cover closing in the registering-dial can be locked after the bolt of the combinai tion-lock has been inserted and the rings by which the bolt is fixed or released have been intentionally disarranged, so as to x the said bolt.

In order that the invention shall be well understood and explained in detail, I have hereunto annexed two sheets of drawings, made about ful-1 size, on which letters of reference are marked on corresponding parts on all the figures alike. f y

Figures 1, 2, 8, and 4 relate to the ordinary form of instrument known as the bellpunch, to which the present improvements are applied. Fig. 1 represents the bell-punch in elevation with the bell and cover removed, showing the means employed for iixing the punch-lever when in its partially-depressed condition during the time the box is closed. Fig. 2 represents a similar view of the reverse side of the bell-punch to that shown at Fig. 1. In this view the crystal cap covering the registering-dials is closed and the outer cap open. Fig. 3 represents a plan view of the instrument, showing the cap closing in the bell and those closingin the registering-dials partiallyopen. Fig. 4 represents a similar view to the last, showing the bell-cap closed and locked, and the cap with the crystal face closed and locked, and the outer cap shielding the crystal face in its semi-closed state; and Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, and 8 represent detail views (made about double the ordinary size) of the im proved construction of combination-lock.

In the above figures, rt is the framing; b, the punch-lever; b', the quadrant-rack; c, the case containing the bell; d, the case containing the registering-dial, and e the tumblerlever, all being old and well-known parts of the bell-punch instrument. The punch-lever b, when being depressed, causes the quadrant-rack b to catch in the teeth of the tumbler e, which, through the medium of the spring-nger e', prevents theleverb returning untilits full-depression has been accomplished, at which time the central large tooth on the quadrant b knocks over the tumbler e, in which position it is again kept by the springfinger c until the lever b assumes its highest position ready for another depression. This arrangement of parts for preventing the return of the lever b to its normal position before it has completed its throw is also a part of the bell-punch well known, but is here described in order to illustrate more clearly the improvements in connection therewith, hereinafter described.

In carrying out the iirst part of these improvements, I provide the box with two covers for the numbering or registering dial (Z, one of which,f, has a crystal face, and the other, g, forms a shield or cover for the said crystal face. These covers f and g (see Figs. 2, 3, and

'4) are hinged onto the same pin, and are so arranged that the crystal facef can be closed down and locked, as seen at Fig. 4, by the person in authority, and the outer cap, g, left open, so that the numbers on the registeringdial d can be noted and compared with the way-bill by the conductor before the outer cap, g, is closed.

When the instrument is being prepared for handing to the conductor, the cap and bell c are first closed, which causes the fixed catch c to enter the recess a. rlhe bolt v of the combination-lock is then inserted, so'as to x the same, after which, the fingers on the registering-dial cZ having been set, the crystal cover f is closed, which causes its springcatch ZL to snap over and become fixed by the bolt c of the combination-lock. At this time the outer lid or cap, g, is placed in a semiclosed position, as seen at Fig. 4, so as to cover and prevent any damage to the crystal face f and numbering-dial during the time the said cap remains unlocked. rlhe said cover g in this semi-closed position is prevented from becoming finally closed and locked by reason of its projecting lip g coming into contact with the projecting surface of the springcatch z'. ln this position the cap gis maintained by reason of its fixed catch g2 being caught in a slight notch of the yielding catch ZL. rlhe cap g, when so caught, can be easily forced open toallow the conductor to note the number on the registering-dial Z and compare the same with the number on the way-bill of the vehicle, after which, and before giving him possession of the instrument, the springcatch t is forced back in the slot t of the lip g', which allows the said cap g to close and allow its fixed catch g'z to be caught by the notch in the spring-catch ZL. In this condition the instrument is fully locked and handed to the conductor, in which locked condition itY remains until it is again handed in to the oftice after the days journeys; but in order to prevent any disturbance of the parts by an accidental or other depression of the punchlever b when the instrument is given up the conductor first takes hold of the ball m, (see Fig. 1,) which is connected by the swiveling spring-finger Z to the under surface of the punch-lever Z), and reverses or places it immediately over the recess in the framing a. The ball m, when so placed, prevents the full depression ofthe lever Z1, which therefore becomes locked in that position, as its release and ascent can only be accomplished after its depression has been completed,l so as to throw over the tumbler e out of gear with the bottom portion of the quadrant-rack b.

The tumbler e is maintained in its legitimate working condition (so as not to be disturbed by an accidental knock or blow) by means of the spring s', which exerts a pressure thereupon in a direction which will counteract any undue vibration which might otherwise release the lever Z) from its locked position. When the instrument is opened by a duly-authorized person, the punch-lever bis released from its locked position by pushing the tumbler e over its center.

The construction of the combination-lock, together with .its action, will now be understood by the following description, reference being had to Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, and 8nu of the drawings on Sheet 2, which are made about double the ordinary size. The four rings, as ordinarily employed, as seen at Fig. 5, are arranged in position to allow the bolt o to enter;

but before this can be effeotually done a recess,

u, (see Fig. 7,) in the ilange Ze of the bolt-head has to be so placed (indicated by a secret letter on the periphery of the bolt-head) that it will allow the projection 'v (see Fig. 6) ofthe outer bush, Z, to pass through, so as to allow the bolt c to be fully inserted. 4 The secret letter which will allow the projection v to pass, having been determined, the fixed key o', on the inner screw-bush, x, (see Figs. 8 `and 8f, which are opposite views of the inner screwbush, 50,) is slid into one ofthe twenty-six channels ofthe outer bush, Z. (See Fig. 6.) The said channels form keywaysin the outerbush, Z, and correspond in number with the alphabeticalletters printed on the periphery ofthe cap 7s. rIhe position in which the key n is placed for entering one of the said channels corresponds with the secret letter which allows the projection o to pass through the recess u. The inner and outer bushes, x and Z, are then screwed home on the screw of the boss y. In this state the cap L, with the bolt o, is fully inserted, and the iiange L isfree to be turned in the annular space behind the projecting tooth c. rlhe position of the rings of the combination-lock at this time are disturbed, and the'bolt v becomes xed.

I would here remark, in conclusion, that the description of bell punch instrument herein described and shown can, with a slight modieation of its parts, be constructed so that it could be attached to and work in connection with a box containing a roll or rolls of consecutively-numbered tickets.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim isl. In combination'with the operating mechanism of a bell-punch and its registering-dial, a movable glass face, f, covering said dial, a metal cover, g, for said glass face, and acatch IOO IIO

catch g2, attached to cover g and kengaging a locks the catch for said glass face, substantiaiiy notch on catch h, and the movable piece i, for

as set forth. locking said catches 7L g2, substantially -as Set 2. In a bell-punch, the combination of the forth. 15

5 ball m with the punch-lever and registering In testimony whereof I have hereunto sub- Inechanism, said ball locking said lever, sub scribed my name in the presence of two Witstantially as set forth. l nesses.

for said metal cover which engages with and 3. In combination With the dial and its frame, the hinged covers f and g, the boit o, Io attached to said frame, the spring-catch 7L, at-

JOHN MELTON BLACK. ITitnesscs:

THOMAS WRIGLEY,

tachcd to cover fand engaging said boit, the EDWD. N. HoBBs. 

